A date with the East

It is a name that will be familiar to Chinese food lovers who  are situated a bit far away from the eating joints in the city's heart. 'Shanghai Court' already boasts of a sizeable customer base in its  two branches located at  Vijaya Bank Layout and DLF  Newtown,  Yelenahalli Road.  The  oriental cuisine restaurant has now opened a third branch in JP Nagar and boasts of a menu that aptly conveys the  authentic taste of the eastern kitchen to your tastebuds. With a  menu comprising more than 250 varieties of dishes, ranging from soups  and starters  to main course and desserts, one is sure to be spoilt for choice.  

Start  your meal with their soups. The 'Chicken munchow soup' and  the 'Tom yum soup' are quite delicious, though the soup does stray  a bit from the classic 'Tom yum' definition. The 'Crispy rice soup' is a clear soup with bits of tofu and a strong taste of garlic, with deep fried rice bits to garnish.  

Next is an extensive selection of appetizers, which come in vegetarian, non-vegetarian and seafood options.  Vegetarians can opt for the spicy 'Chilli garlic potato' or the succulent 'Paneer Manchurian' or the textured 'Paneer Dragon'. Non-vegetarians can indulge in the 'Burnt pepper chicken', 'Chicken lolly pop' or 'Drums of heaven', which are some of the most popular items in this section, says Raviraj Shetty, one of the partners. The 'Fried chicken wontons' may not exactly be what you are looking for though, so don't worry about giving this a miss.  

For the main course, Raviraj recommends choosing from 'Chicken dragon Chopsuey', 'Chicken chilli garlic noodles', 'Chicken lee foo rice' and 'Chicken red Thai curry and basil rice', which are the favourites among the regulars. Apart from these, the 'Chicken Hongkong noodles' is a good option for those who don't like spice while the 'Mix Chilli Chowmein'  and 'Mix Chilli Garlic Chowmein', with a proper mix of chicken and prawns, are a good option who like their spices. The 'Chilli basil chicken', a Thai dish, deserves a special shoutout for the  fresh and tender chicken.  'Stewed rice', steamed rice, 'Fuyong' and Thai soup are also available in a variety of variants.  

 Wash your meal down with a mocktail or a sweet dish. The 'Date pancake with honey ice-cream' is a good choice.

The food is good value for money with generous portions. This restaurant is somewhat small but there is the added attraction of good parking space. Their home delivery services are fast and a good option for those days when you don't feel like leaving your house.  

'Shanghai Court' is located on  724, Rini Pearl, RBI Layout, 7th Phase, JP Nagar.